How The U.S. Virgin Islands Became American: The $25 Million Deal That Changed The Caribbean
The islands now known as the U.S. Virgin Islands—St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix—were once called the Danish West Indies. Denmark controlled these islands for over 250 years, beginning in the late 1600s.
The islands’ economy was built on sugarcane plantations and the labor of enslaved Africans.
When slavery was abolished in 1848, the islands’ economy began to decline, making them less valuable to Denmark.
By the early 1900s, the United States was looking to strengthen its position in the Caribbean.
The islands’ location was important for protecting the Panama Canal and for national security, especially during World War I.
There were fears that Germany might try to take over the islands and use them as a base for submarines. The U.S. had tried to buy the islands before, but earlier deals had fallen through.
Negotiations between Denmark and the United States restarted in 1915. Both sides kept the talks secret because Denmark wanted to stay neutral during the war.
The two countries agreed on a price of $25 million in gold for the islands and their nearby islets and reefs.
The treaty was signed in August 1916, approved by the U.S. Senate in September, and ratified by the Danish parliament and King Christian X in December. A Danish referendum also supported the sale.
The payment was made in gold, and the islands were renamed the United States Virgin Islands.
After the sale, most Danish citizens left the islands, but those who stayed could keep their Danish citizenship or become U.S. citizens.
The United States took over all public property, except for Danish military possessions and personal items in government buildings.
The islands’ economy still faced challenges, but their strategic importance continued during World War II and the Cold War.
The purchase of the Virgin Islands marked a turning point in U.S. expansion. Today, the U.S. Virgin Islands are an unincorporated territory of the United States.
The islands have their own local government, but residents cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections.
The islands’ culture reflects African, European, and American influences, making them unique in the Caribbean.
The 1917 purchase of the Virgin Islands shows how world events and economic needs can shape the fate of entire regions.
It also highlights how strategic decisions made during wartime can have long-lasting effects on people and places.
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